"Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him. It is a sad day, but I hope he's in a better place. He will be greatly missed."

Ludacris wrote, "R.I.P. Verne Troyer aka Mini Me. You made it to that #1 Spot Glad we got to make history together. #goontosoon #love."

Vanilla Ice, who also appeared on a season of The Surreal Life, wrote, "#RIPVerneTroyer sad to loose a #LEGEND and friend — LONG LIVE my little Buddy @VerneTroyer #VerneTroyer."

News of the actor's death was shared via his official Instagram on Saturday.

The statement read, "It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today. Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday."

The actor, who was born with the genetic disorder known as achondroplasia dwarfism, had openly battled depression and alcoholism.

The statement also alluded to a possible suicide: "Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years he's struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much."

On April 17, 2017, Troyer wrote about his addiction problem on Instagram: "I've battled alcohol addiction in the past and while it's not always been an easy fight, I'm willing to continue my fight day by day."

If you feel you need help dealing with depression or a difficult time in your life, call Lifeline on 0800 543 354 or the Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0508 828 865(0508 TAUTOKO). Both are available 24/7.